“Rejoice in the Lord always;
 again I will say, rejoice.”  Philippians 4:8

It’s Monday morning now.  The family is all around me, with their tummies full of homemade pancakes and bacon, scrambled eggs with mushrooms and melted cheddar cheese.

As I worked in the kitchen, I took a break now and then, to crumble a warm pancake over the porch railing for my hens (they love them!)

Rich is home this week, he’s at the table now, studying Colossians.

Sarah Joy has found her pretty Christmas shoes, and is busily putting them on her tiny feet.

Grace is cleaning the kitchen.  She’s already read three books this weekend.

The little boys are watching a cartoon.

Ethan wants someone to play chess with him and Jacob is still eating his breakfast. 

Rich was gone for hours on Christmas Eve, trying to locate a last minute gift for Ethan.  I was home and tired, cleaning and taking care of the children…..but, the sun was shining and we laughed when he got home and found me contentedly on the floor in a sunbeam.  Davy was next to me, and we were talking to each other but he got up and left when Rich took the picture.

In my heart, I was thinking a lot of years ago and the past Christmases together with my childhood family.  But first in my heart was remembering 17 years ago, when Rich got down on one knee, and put a ring on my finger.

For this reason, Christmas Eve will also be a very romantic time of year for us, as we thankfully remember the beautiful years we have had together, as husband and wife. 

We remember and appreciate the past, as we continue to grow and make new traditions, and new memories.

Amanda and her family came for Christmas Eve, and also my brother Isaac.  We enjoyed the same munchies that our Grandma and Aunts used to prepare for us, when we were little.

For dinner, we had baked ham, scalloped potatoes, and corn casserole.

We opened gifts and watched the excitement and joy of the children.

Naomi’s gift was a big hit.  Rapunzal hair! 

We  couldn’t resist trying the hair on Sarah.  She looked like a doll.

That evening, we all went to church for a beautiful Christmas service.

When we got home, the children were given snacks and sent to bed so that Rich and I could work to get the house prepared for Christmas morning.

We awoke to noises of little ones the next morning, scurrying around the livingroom.  It was 5:10, and I asked them to be patient and quiet for just a little longer.  Rich and I slept some more and got up for the day at 6.  Caleb was so excited that we allowed the children to wake up Seth and Sarah, and we got started on opening our gifts.

Sarah said, “Oh!”  “Let me see!” as she opened the papers and unwrapped her surprises.

The annual “after” picture of the livingroom:

Rich has always loved my arms, and now they will be even prettier.  This was “The Year of the Bracelet”, as my sister also gave me one (the green!)

This was the gift that amused me the most:

Davy was such a big help, and took it upon himself to clean up the wrapping paper from the floor.

Four bags-full.

And since Christmas was on a Sunday this year, we did all our Christmas opening and playing and ALSO got ready for church! 

After being all cozy in our pew, singing lots and lots of Christmas hymns and songs, and listening to the preached word, Davy leaned over and whispered in my ear;

“This was the very best day to be in church!”

I had to agree.

God be praised, we have a great Savior who came to earth so long ago born from a virgin. He grew, served a beautiful earthly ministry, and died on the cruel cross to pay our sin-debt, but also…..rose from the dead and lives today.  As our Pastor said on Sunday, if there hadn’t been a death on the cross and an Easter resurrection, there wouldn’t be a Christmas to celebrate.  May He be honored and glorified for ever and ever!

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
  
(Philippians 2:1-11 ESV)

After church, we had a cozy afternoon together, and that night, tired of being inside, we all got dressed and went out for a walk in the dark with flashlights.  It was special, being out at that time of night, all together. Perhaps this will be a new tradition.

Merry Christmas!

Sister Amanda (with her two little ones) came over this morning, bright and early.  After attending Caleb’s school Christmas program and doing some grocery shopping, we came back to my place to wrap gifts and work on tomorrow’s Christmas Eve dinner, which will be spent together, with our families.

May we keep Christmas in our hearts,
that we may be kept in its hope.  ~Peter Marshall

Let us remember that the Christmas heart
is a giving heart,
a wide open heart that thinks of others first.  ~George Adams

Praying that each one of you is having a wonderful day. Like me, you are probably getting excited about spending this weekend celebrating our precious and generous Savior’s birth.  He gave so much, and this is a perfect time of year to be, in our own small ways, like Him, giving of ourselves in love and kindness, to each other.

((warm hugs)) ~Shanda

Oh how I love hearing from my bloggy/internet friends!  Thanks for writing to me here, really, there is something in me that simply loves sharing this way….writing and  photos….notes and comments.  What a privilege it has been, to learn about my *sisters* all over the world, and become friends.  God has showed me so much about the unity of believers through blogging!  Love it.

Guess what?  As most of you know, I live in the Northeast of the USA.  And, typically it is quite cold and perhaps even snow-covered in my neck of the woods.  However, today it in the 50’s, the sun is shining, and I have windows open.  It is so important to get fresh air moving through our homes now and then, and it feels lovely to welcome the healthy winds blowing through.  I can  hear the busy birds at my feeders outside the kitchen windows as I type (do you feed the birds?  It’s very rewarding to the whole family!)

I took Seth and Sarah outside for a while. You should have seen Sarah.  She climbed the playset ladder for the first time today, over and over, and went down the big slide.  Oh, she was thrilled with herself and got quite full of it, laughing and talking in her little way.  (She talks!)  One time I got too close to her as I guarded (making sure, if she fell, that I would catch  her) and she shook her head and said, “No. Go away, mama!” to me!  Can you believe it?  She said it with the best of intentions, but still.  My baby!  And when she sat at the top if the slide (grunting, because it’s hard work to do all that with a big coat on) she would say, “Ready? Mama?”  And at the end of the slide she would get up and say, “My turn!” because that’s how it went.  First Seth, then Sarah.  She’s a doll.  They both are.  Seth got a muddy face from helping me catch his sister at the end of the slide (a gentleman in training) and she accidently kicked him in the cheek (didn’t hurt, thankfully).

My older children are all doing well.  The whole family is getting over a cold and we are all in various stages of it.  (Airing out the house will help get rid of germies).   They love school.  Really, and truly.  Jacob made honor roll and Grace & Ethan both improved their grades this term (they have 6 terms in middle school, with a report card sent home).  They have about an 85-ish average.  Nice to even see “90’s” in some classes.  We are all proud.  They are doing great at school, educationally and socially.  (Thank you, God!)  They have made friends with the children on the bus, too.  I think it’s been nice for everyone. They are blooming and developing in a way that pleases me a great deal.  Caleb is the one who is less thrilled, and has determined, most days, to try to “be sick” to see if I will let him stay home.   But now that he has a REINDEER PARTY tomorrow, the thought of being sick is horrifying to him. LOL 

(my Great Grandma, Alberta)
(photos curtesy of  Aunt Barb’s facebook album)

I’ve been thinking about Great Grandma a lot the last few days.  I think it’s because of Christmas, and because I have her handiwork all over my house.  I see you crafters out there (Dawn, April, Erika, Janet, etc) and I think of Great Grandma because she would have had a very popular crafter’s blog if there was such a thing, years ago.  She was always working on things.  She also loved plants and gardening, and raised a big family almost like mine (she had 4 sons and 2 daughters).  I admire her a great deal, but do not (so far) have much of her talent in the crafting areas. 

So, in her honor, and for the amusement/enjoyment of all you crafty ones, I wanted to show you just one picture of something she made for me, years ago.

Can you guess what’s inside the towers of this green and red crocheted castle?  Paper towel tubes!  And the front section holds a old peanut can, for Christmas candy.  I am sure she made several of these, because I believe I’ve seen other ones in my family’s homes. 

Charming, yes? 

I’ll be forever thankful that God gave Rich and I five sons.  Seth (our fifth) is almost three yrs old, and I still can’t get over it.  I LOVE HAVING ALL THESE BOYS!  (and my two girlies, too)  The boys did the gingerbread house the other night, it was quite the production.  It wasn’t peaceful UNTIL I put my foot down to the debates and bickering.   

If you squint and lean in, you might make out Ethan, Grace, and Jacob.  They were invited up to the pulpit on Sunday, to recite their Scripture; Isaiah 53:1-6.  They did very well.

True story.  Our cat Socks fell in the pond.  Jacob was outside shooting pond ice with his bb gun when all of a sudden he saw the cat in the pond, swimming back to shore.  He had fallen off a rock.  It was amusing to watch him busily clean off his fur for about an hour, in the house, to get dry again.  The children said he used up one of his nine lives.

Davy made this plaque in art class, at school.  He was so excited to bring it home, and he carried it from the bus to me (on the porch), behind his back with the sweetest shy smile.   I asked him, “What made you put LIFE IS GOOD on it?”  “I was thinking of you when I made it,” he said.  {heart melts}  Later on, I showed it to Rich, “See what Davy made me at school?”  And David quickly informed me, “Um….it’s not for you, it’s mine.”  Oh.  oops. 

We spent a cozy afternoon this weekend, watching a movie together.  “The Santa Clause” (kinda dumb, but funny in parts).  What’s your favorite holiday movie?   I like “Little Women” (the 1990-something version).  The children like “Fay’s 12 Days of Christmas” and “Arthur’s Perfect Christmas”. 

I don’t drink ANY COFFEE ANY MORE.  I’m off it completely.  It’s all tea, all the time now.  I’m drinking the African Rooibos right now, as I blog.

This was yesterday afternoon’s cup of camomile, with my current delicious read.

He dumped it on the floor two other times, on other days.  You would think I would have put it up?   But no, apparently my brain these days is not as sharp/quick as it should be. 

I went outside this morning for just a few minutes, to wave goodbye to Caleb.  He MUST have me always waving when he leaves for school.  So, I did, and when I came in I found the little ones, not watching their show, but making a mess!

You mothers understand, I know you do.  I can’t be the only one to clean up crazy amounts of vegetable oil, eggs, or, in this case the BUCKWHEAT PANCAKE MIX.

No fair to the mix.  It wanted to be added to eggs,  milk, and oil, and fried into healthy pancakes.

Pancakes that NONE of my children cared for, anyway, but still…..I was going to use it up eventually.

Seth took care of that.  No more buckwheat pancake mix.  It’s all gone now, all except what is left forevermore, deep in the cracks of the hardwood floor.

Those pants aren’t supposed to be white, at all.

It was everywhere.

I was so upset  yesterday.  Crying.  SICK of crying.  Mad.  On the verge of swearing (and I’ve never done that!LOL) Just so sick of being a mess…….but, truth be told, there are bright spots.  Yesterday pretty much stunk, but when Rich came home I sat on his lap and felt better.  He told me to TRY, to FIGHT against the emotions.  You know, sometimes it seems impossible, but he said the right thing to me at that time.

Today has been better.  After getting Rich off to work and the children off to school, and cleaning up the buckwheat pancake mix (ahem), I took Seth and Sarah with me to the mall.  And, do you know what happened?  I BONDED WITH THEM.  We shopped at Target and they were kinda a handful, but after that I took them to Panera and we three sat at a table together, each in our own chair.  Seth and Sarah shared a cookie and chocolate milk and I had a smoothie and a bagel and we sat there together and THEY WERE LIKE MY LITTLE BUDDIES.  There was sincere friendship in the air.  ((loved it))  Seth almost fell of his chair and he was concerned that baby would, too.  But we all stayed put and enjoyed our snack together.  It was just what we needed to get through the rest of our trip in high spirits.  I think I am finally done with my shopping.

I put the littles to bed after some reading time, back here at home, and I went downstairs and did THREE miles on the treadmill.  Walking and running greatly relieves the stress I’ve been feeling.  I highly recommend it as a stress-buster. Plus, I’m finally getting a little toned after have Sarah Joy 18 months ago!

That’s a little bit of what’s been going on here at our homeplace.  I’m thankful for my family, and for Christmas time.  I love seeing our pretty tree here in the livingroom and seeing the excitement of the children growing after each loop is torn off our Christmas paper chain.

I found a beautiful passage of Scripture today:

….”If you devote your heart to HIM
 and stretch out your hands to HIM,
if you put away the sin that is in your hand
and allow no evil in your tent,
then you will lift up your face without shame;
you will stand firm and without fear.
You will surely forget your trouble,
recalling it only as waters gone by.
Life will be brighter than noonday,
and darkness will become like morning.
You will be secure, because there is hope;
you will look about you and take your rest in safety.
You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid….”

~Zophar the Naamathite, to Job, in Job 112:13-19

Blessings and love to you~ take a minute, to write to me today?  Thanks dear ones. 

Love, your pal, Shanda

Soup for colds.  Soup for comfort.  It sure smells good, over there in the crock pot.

1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium-size carrots, chopped (I don’t bother peeling them, I just wash them good and chop away)
3 ribs celery, chopped, plus leaves and top from 1 medium size rib
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
a few sprigs of fresh parsley (I used a tsp. of dried)
1 bay leaf
One 14.5 oz. can chopped tomatoes, with juice (I used stewed)
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine into a large crock-pot, on low for 6 to 8 hours.  Before serving, shred chicken meat.

Serve over steamed white rice.

Sarah, Seth, Caleb, Grace, and Ethan all have bad colds.  Several of them have bad coughs, too.  Caleb stayed home from school and at 11:30 the school nurse called me to come and get Grace.  On the way home I stopped to replenish the tissue, vicks, and cough drop supply.

I baked a huge quadruple batch of homemade brownies today; 2 sheet pans full (using up 16 eggs and 8 cups of sugar in the process).  The brownies will be cut and wrapped and are for little gift bags that we are passing out on Saturday, with our church.  We are singing Christmas carols and giving testimonies outside of the town Post Office.   Jacob, Ethan, and Grace are reciting Scripture.  We are looking forward to it very much.

Spending a little extra time snuggled on the couch with my sickies has given me an opportunity to read an old favorite; Little Town on the Prairie. 

The prairie looks so beautiful and gentle,” she said.  “But I wonder what it will do next.  Seems like we have to fight it all the time.”
“This earthly life is a battle,; said Ma.”If it isn’t one thing to contend with, it’s another.  It always has been so, and it always will be.  The sooner you make up your mind to that, the better off you are, and the more thankful for your pleasures.” pg 89

Laura thought, “Ma is right, there is always something to be thankful for.”  pg 106

Hope you all are having a cozy day.  ((hugs))

Happiness is Homemade

All of my children are so dear, so precious to me.  But lately, my son David has been the one who has put some extra joy into my heart.  He is nine years old, a perfect age to be little, yet old enough to say wise things, funny things, thoughtful things.  Young enough to still snuggle with me and hold my hand, but old enough to leave alone in a room and not worry about him.  (big milestone in the life of a BOY) 

On Sunday morning when the rest of us were in the house getting ready for church, Davy was already ready and outside, exploring.  We didn’t think about it at all……but later on, as we sat in our pew at church, he (sitting next to me) leaned in to say, “Now you know why I’m always smiling.”  “Why, Dave?”  “Because I spend so much time outside.” {insert big huge happy grin, here}

Just that little remark has made me smile so many times this week, and I’m smiling now.  Yes, if we could just spend  more time outside in God’s big world we would all be much happier.  A blessed and thoughtful little boy for sure.

Our son David has a thing for gingerbread cookies.  It all started in Kindergarten,. As I’m sure a lot of the schools do, David’s class went through a “Gingerbread Man” theme ….. David even got to make a gingerbread man out of brown felt in his class that year.  His name was Fred.  Good old Fred spent the entire Holiday with us and is still around here, someplace.  David loves to read any and every Gingerbread boy/girl/man/whatever storybook we can find (and there are quite a few out there).

Now that it’s that time of year, again, David remembered, and requested (several times) that we make gingerbread cookies.

I am pleased to report that yesterday, while David was at school, Seth and I mixed up a double batch of cookie dough, and popped it into the fridge, as a gift for Dave.

Boy, was that boy (*gingerbread boy*) happy!

After dinner, and after Rich left with the  older children for youth group, David and I pulled away the chairs from the table and got ready to roll and cut out doughboys.

Caleb made his own tray of them, too.  It’s wonderful to see how they turn out.  Charming, really.

We baked and we baked and we listened to Christmas songs, loudly.

The very best, most appropriate song came on as we worked.  “Christmas Cookies” by George Strait.  It was the best timing.  I laughed, bent over, and kissed Davy on the cheek.

He danced around the kitchen with glee.

After the cookies were baked, David and I decorated them with green icing.

I accidently got two trays pretty dark, so those became dog treats.  Christmas ones.

Caleb, Seth, and Sarah spent most of their time playing “Train” with the kitchen chairs, but every once in a while they would come visit, and do some tasting.

Here is Sarah, nose-down, in a frosted cookie, licking.  Her brother was shocked!

Eventually, the “Train” was abandoned, and as happy Christmas music played, my couch was torn apart.

David was so proud of our cookies.  This morning he picked the nicest one, to take to school for his teacher.  I ate two of them for breakfast with my oatmeal.  Yum.

There aren’t enough words to express how thankful I am for my very special son, David.  I’m deep down heart-glad we could work together and make such nice cookies for Christmastime.

David’s Gingerbread Boy Cookies

6 cups flour
1 1/2tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup molasses
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp ginger

Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.  Add sugar; beat until combined.  Add eggs, molasses, and vanilla; beat until combined.  Beat in ginger and the flour mixture.  Cover and chill 3 hours.

Roll, cut out cookies, bake on lightly greased cookie sheets in a 375 degree oven.

Pipe designs on cookies with tinted royal icing.

Makes about 50

I wanted to say HI, and also, I forgot to add this picture to my last post.  My Davy (who is one of the BEST boys EVER!), my Seth (who is ADORABLY cute AND smart, too!) and my babykins Sarah JOY (she’s starting to climb things!)

This morning I was INTERESTED in life!  I praised God!  I had to take the dog to his house and I was noticing the world around me; frost on everything, the ground frozen stiff, ice puddles for the kids to happily slide on, tiny pinecones in the trees, the cold rushing stream (love that sound).   And I thought, “Wait, I’m thinking about nature with a clear mind, not a dark gloomy mind!  Then, I prayed and thanked the Lord as I continued walking around the pond, to the house.

In the last few months, I’ve been to doctors, several of them (and, more than once).  I have depression and am on medicine now, but it’s taking a while to get it just right (frustrating at times).  Also, I have a Vitamin D deficiency and am taking extra supplement to boost my levels.  I have hope that each day will become BRIGHTER.

We went to church on Sunday and after hearing the sermon, I’ve been thinking a lot about Jesus, and how he treated people when He was on earth those many years ago.  He was full of compassion, and love.  He sought sinners, and forgave them, healed them, and had a personal relationship with them.  The Pharisees were always ready to JUDGE and CAST STONES.  They thought they were righteous and good, but they weren’t.  They were mean and scary.  The harshest words Jesus spoke was against them.

I want to be like Jesus, but am sometimes more like the Pharisee, especially with my own husband and children.  Lord, forgive me!  I don’t want to be mean and scary, ever!

Instead of throwing stones, let’s spread love and mercy.  Instead of thinking about what to get from others, let’s think about what we can give.  Instead of being ready with a correction or a reprimand, let’s be long-suffering, forgive and show grace.  As believers, it’s a temptation to become over-righteous, but let’s never forget that we are all simply sinners, saved by grace.  Everything good comes from Him, everything! 

“We love because He first loved us.”

Have a wonderful day, friends!  You are LOVED and so special!

*good boys*

*no room to spare*

*big sky at the Christmas farm*

*it’s a tree, but it’s way too wee*

*riding on the tree sled*

*Ethan cut down the tree*

*is he really old enough for this?!*

*Papa, teasing*

*the best tree ever!*

*memories*

*it was cold outside, but nice and sunny*

*another Christmas together*

*with little ones at our feet who need us*

*joy*

*happy chaos*

*kitchen chairs are so useful*

*baby under the weather*

*their favorite branch*

*Caleb, hard at work making the tree beautiful*

*Cat, you must admire the tree*

*hi*

*Jesus warms my heart*

*oink*oink*

*Grace even decorated the family pets*

*pretty*

*love*

 *her mama’s big doll baby*

*a quick family photo after church*

Bless us Lord, this Christmas, with quietness of mind;
Teach us to be patient and always to be kind.

~ Helen Steiner Rice